Sakura, My Cherry Blossom
by Liz's Dystopia
Summary: It’s Spring at Duel Academy, and a new student has come. But this new student starts playing cupid, trying to pair up Alexis and Jaden. Yet she ignored the fact someone may like her as well. JadenAlexis
1. Prologue

**Sakura, (My Cherry Blossom)**

It's Spring at Duel Academy, and things are blossoming like the flowers on the island. Romance between people grows and becomes obvious to see. But during this time, a new girl named Sakura comes to the island, and she starts to play cupid with everyone's hearts. While trying to pair-up Alexis and Jaden, she is completely ignoring the fact that someone may also like her. See how this trouble turns out! Alexis/Jaden, and /Oc

* * *

Prologue

The warm sunlight streamed down on the Duel Academy island as the morning of the first day of spring came. It was amazing to see the island not only covered with soon-to-be-blossoming flower buds, but also to see the days clear and bright. The skies were clear, so clear that it was nearly the same blue as the ocean, and the ocean itself reflected the sky and sun beautifully. It was going to be a wonderful spring, everyone could just sense it. Especially the students of the Academy. Who knew that, of all the people to be affected by the season, they would? Most of the students gathered out on this bright and wondrous Saturday, enjoying the day and bathing in the warmth of the sun. Jaden Yuki, a hyperactive, calm, brunette boy crossed the courtyard of the school with his friends, Syrus Truesdale, and Chumley Huffington. They were three students of the many of the third of the school that wore red blazers. This was because they were a part of the Slifer Red dorm, the lowest of the three dorms of the school. The students who were horrible duelist, horrible students, or both, were placed in Slifer Red. The students who did well of the exam, have good grades, and are good duelist, are placed in the middle dorm, Ra Yellow, while students with the highest grades, best duelists, are placed in the highest dorm, Obelisk Blue. Jaden had a few friends that were in those dorms, but he always hung out with these two, especially his best friend, Syrus. They were almost always together, and Syrus even considered him like a "big brother."

As the three walked towards the beach, they saw two familiar faces waiting for them. One was a girl wearing an Obelisk Blue blazer. She had long, dirty blond hair and light, soft brown eyes. Standing beside her was a boy wearing a Ra Yellow blazer. He had sleeked, dark hair and dark, matching eyes. They both smiled as the three boys approached. These were two more of Jaden's friends, Alexis Rhodes, and Bastion Misawa. The five of them started talking, and then Alexis turned from them to look up at the sky.

"Isn't today amazing?" she asked them. "It's so warm and calm. I really think this spring is going to be cool."

The boys nodded in agreement. Everywhere they looked, they felt nothing but warm comfort surround them on this day. It was the first day of spring, and they should enjoy it. So they did. The five of them sat down in the beach, pulling out their decks. Alexis and Jaden had a practice duel, Bastion napped in the sun, while Syrus and Chumley ran head first into the water. Unaware of who was watching them from up the hill was a young girl, smiling sweetly as she took in comfort of the day. No matter, things would always seem like this…when you're in love….

* * *

As Alexis went back to the Obelisk Blue Girls' dormitory, she saw two of her friends, Mindy and Jasmine, waiting for her. Each one had a light blush around their faces. They had probably swooned over Alexis' older brother, Atticus. It had at last felt peaceful and relaxing here at Duel Academy. Alexis had her brother back, Zane was going to graduate soon, and she was getting along well with her friends. But the moment she approached them, she saw another girl. A girl she didn't recognize wearing a Blue blazer. As she and her friends grew closer to the girl, she turned and smiled at them.

"Hi! I'm new, and a little uneasy. Can you show me where the Obelisk Blue Girls' dorm is?" she asked them.

"This is it!" Mindy announced happily to the girl. Alexis looked at the girl fully. She had long, wavy pink hair and sparkling, green eyes. They were the same color as the grass. Her blazer was opened only enough to reveal a white shirt underneath. This girl looked both childish and pretty at the same time. She also looked very happy, but so was everyone else on the island.

"Thank you. By the way, my name is Sakura Mitokaza," the girl told them.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Alexis, this is Mindy, and this is Jasmine," Alexis introduced the three of them to the new girl.

"It's cool that you came so late in the year, because you won't have to do any of the hard stuff that we had to," Mindy pointed out.

"Oh…no, I'm just a transfer student here. I'll be gone before the year is over," Sakura explained.

"Really? Where are you from?" Jasmine asked.

"Kyoto, but my parents are moving around a lot, so I don't think I'll stay at this school for very long. I'm just here for the time being. And I guess I came at the right time. Everything is so beautiful here," the girl said with a broad smile. She was right. It was nice here. As Alexis and her friends accompanied the new girl into the dormitory, she had no idea that she was greeting someone who was going to solve a lot of problems about her.

* * *

As the day went on, Alexis was showing the new girl, Sakura, around the school. She was telling her about the different teachers, the different people she would meet, and the different duels she would experience. Alexis informed her about how most people at the school were nice and thoughtful, and as she said this, Alexis found herself thinking about someone in particular. Jaden Yuki. Sakura noticed this, and started giggling.

"I can see that there's someone that's always on your mind. Are you in love, Alexis?" the girl asked her. She turned to her, and shook her head.

"No, he's just…a really good friend of mine," Alexis explained. Sakura smiled mischievously, but smiled charmingly at Alexis. As they walked together down the cooridor of the school, a small boy was running towards them. He apparently wasn't watching where he was going, because he collided into Sakura, sending her to the ground. The boy stumbled back, dropping whatever was in his hands, which, apparently, was his deck. Cards scattered everywhere, and Sakura blinked and looked up.

The boy who had crashed into her had wild, untamed light blue hair and dark, stormy eyes. He wore round framed glasses, and a red blazer, signifying he was in Slifer Red. Sakura smiled and started picking up his cards for him, but when he looked up at her, his face immediately went red, almost as red as his blazer.

"A-are you alright?" he asked her. She smiled at him.

"Yes, I'm fine, but I'm more concerned about you. Apparently, you nearly lost some of your cards," she stood up and held his now recovered deck to him. He stood up and took his deck, his eyes lowered so he would not look at her. Then he bowed and took off past them. As Sakura and Alexis watched him run, a soft, warm smile crossed Sakura's face, and her green eyes narrowed as she watched the boy.

"Who was that?" she asked the other girl.

"That's Syrus Truesdale. He's the younger brother of Zane Truesdale, one of the best duelists in the school. He's also best friends with Jaden Yuki, another one of the bests," Alexis explained. She then noticed that expression on Sakura's face, and asked another. "Do you think he's cute?"

"He reminds me of someone I know," Sakura explained, and she and Alexis continued touring the school.

* * *

FD: Alright, that's just the beginning of this fic. In case some of you are curious or suspect this, I'm going to be honest with you. The Sakura in this story was inspired by Haruno Sakura from Naruto. In fact, it was her theme song that inspired me to write this. If you like it, please review, and I'll update as soon as I can. 


	2. Lily of the Valley

Chapter I: Lily of the Valley

* * *

"Jaden! Jaden! You would not believe what I saw today!" Syrus yelled as he stormed into the room that he shared with Jaden and Chumley. Jaden was on the floor, looking through his deck, while Chumley was on the top bunk, daydreaming. They both looked up when their small friend stormed into the room, as happy as he could be.

"What did you see, Sy?" Jaden asked.

"I saw…I saw an angel!" Syrus' whole face went red the moment he spoke it. He could still remember the moment he saw her. Apparently, neither one understood what he was saying.

"Syrus, are you sure it wasn't just the sun in your eyes?" Jaden asked.

"Oh no, this angel was sent from God, just to be with me!" his heart fluttered in his chest as he explained to Jaden, not only what he meant, but what he saw. A girl with Alexis with long pink hair and green eyes. She was, in his opinion, the most beautiful thing he ever saw.

"Alright, Syrus!" Jaden yelled, standing up, the moment Syrus had finished explaining. "Apparently you're in love. So why don't you go after the girl?"

"I can't! She probably doesn't like me, either! After all, she's in Obelisk Blue. Most of the girls in that dorm wouldn't even look at me, let alone talk to me," Syrus said sadly.

"What about Alexis? She looks at you, and talks to you," Jaden pointed out.

"Yeah, but Alexis is _your_ friend, Jaden," Syrus shot back. "You also like her, just as much as she likes you."

"Yeah, I can't believe you haven't asked her out yet," Chumley spoke from the bed.

"Ask her out? Guys, Alexis is just a friend to me, nothing more," Jaden tried to explain, but it wasn't working. Syrus and Chumley exchanged suspicious looks before turning back to Jaden.

"The best relationships always start off as friends," Syrus spoke.

"That may be, but Alexis and I are only friends. I don't have feelings for her, and I know she doesn't for me," he argued.

"How do you know? Do you read her mind?" Syrus asked.

"No, but-"

"Do you read her diary?"

"No-"

"So how do you know she doesn't like you?"

"I just do!"

Jaden had had enough arguing with his friends. He turned back to his deck, but as he thumbed through the cards, he couldn't help but think of Alexis. Could she have feelings for him? Does he have feelings for her? Things were confusing enough without the known dramas of being a teenager.

"I can't like Alexis. I just…I can't…."

* * *

The moonlight shined down on the beautiful Duel Academy island as spring blossomed everywhere. Crossing the paths of the dormitories was a boy striking a yellow blazer, had dark hair, and matching, dark eyes. As he walked towards his dorm, he saw a girl walking towards him, probably heading to the Obelisk Blue Girls' dorm. She had long pink hair and green eyes, and her blue blazer revealed slightly a pink undershirt. As she raced across the grass, the boy noticed that in her arms was a soiling pot, blossoming out of it a beautiful light pink lily.

As she ran past him, he called out to her, questioning the plant.

"Hey, what is that?" he asked. She turned to him, a charming smile on her face.

"It's called the Lily of the Valley. It's a sweet flower that must be planted in the dead of night. Otherwise, this spring won't be as amazing and wonderful as it seems," she pointed out.

"You seem to know a lot about plants," he responded.

"Well, my mother was a gardener, but I'm only interested in flowers. They're beautiful, and each one has a story behind it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go plant this outside my dorm," she rushed off carrying the plant, and disappeared into the moonlight. The boy turned back to his walking, and as he approached, he saw a man standing outside the building, wearing the yellow uniform of the head of the dorm. Professor Sartyr.

"Sir, what is it?" the boy asked. Sartyr looked up, and for once in his life, there was a smile on his face.

"A young lady came here just a few moments ago, and planted this lovely flower. She told me that it would bring a pleasant spring if it is planted in the night," he explained. The boy became startled by this, and started asking questions.

"Did this girl have pink hair? Did she have green eyes? Did she strike a Blue blazer?" he asked his professor.

"Yes, she did. She even told me her name. Sakura Mitokaza. A lovely name, and she told me her name meant 'cherry blossom of the spring.' How lovely," the professor sounded as if he was under an enchantment. Apparently, by having someone plant a flower in front of the dorm had made him happy, which was rare to see.

The boy stared down at the lily, and saw it was almost an exact replica of the one she had. Who was this girl? And why did she care so much for Spring?

* * *

"Bastion, you would not believe this! Syrus is in love!" Jaden told his friend, a usual smile on his face. Bastion, who was walking ahead of him to the forest, chuckled slightly.

"And you would not believe what happened last night. A girl planted a flower in front of my dorm. She made Sartyr very pleased," Bastion explained.

"Really? What did this girl look like?" Jaden asked.

"Pink hair, green eyes, Obelisk Blue blazer," Bastion said, describing the girl.

"Really? That sounds just like the girl Syrus was telling me about. Sakura, I think, was her name," Jaden spoke.

"Yeah, it was the same girl, then," Bastion explained.

"Then she must've been the one who planted the flower in front of our dorm, then," Jaden spoke. Bastion stopped in his tracks and turned to the boy. He explained. "This morning, we found a flower planted right outside our dorm. Banner told us during breakfast that the girl who planted it had pink hair and green eyes. He also told us that the flower was called the Lily of the Valley, and that when planted during the night, it's supposed to bring a good spring."

Bastion looked down. What is this girl thinking, planting flowers everywhere?

* * *

"Hey, Alexis, can we talk to you for a moment?"

Alexis looked up from her work to her two best friends, Mindy and Jasmine, as they approached. "Sure, what's up?" Alexis asked.

"We'd like to talk to you about Jaden," Mindy spoke, sitting in front of her friend, crossing her arms over her chest with a look of expectance.

"Why? What did he do this time?" Alexis asked.

"Oh, no, he didn't do anything. But…do you remember the night you dueled him?" Jasmine asked her. "The night that he came to rescue little Syrus because he had trespassed into our dorm?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Alexis spoke.

"Well…both Mindy and I think there might be something going on between the two of you. We saw sparks that night, and you acted differently than usual. You stood up for him," Jasmine pointed out.

"No, I didn't stand up for him. Part of the deal was, that if he won, which he did, I would let him loose, and he wouldn't get in trouble. That was what the deal was," Alexis shot back.

"Yeah, but you acting very strange. Not to mention, you didn't play as hard as you should have during that duel," this came from Mindy.

"I did play my hardest. And besides that, Jaden is just a good friend of mine. I don't like him any more than that," she explained to her friends. They didn't buy it. Alexis was known to have been the center of attention around the guys in the school, but she was most especially fond of by Jaden. They could just tell.

"Listen, Alexis, we don't mean to bother you and annoy you with this, but we're your friends, and we know when you're in love when we see it. It's obvious you have feelings for him," Mindy argued to her.

"No, I don't! I don't have feelings for him!" Alexis yelled at them.

"Have feelings for who?"

All three girls looked up at the sound of a familiar voice. At once, they saw Sakura standing at the computer desk, apparently just barely eavesdropping. She approached the other girls, a confused look on her face. She turned to Alexis. "Who do you have feelings for?"

"No one. And if these two would just leave me alone about it!" she snapped at her friends. This time, it was Sakura's turn to speak.

"You know, Alexis, it is Spring, after all. This is normally the time when people do fall in love. That's why I planted flowers around the school," Sakura explained, sitting at their table.

"Wait, that was you who planted that flower in front of all the dorms?" Jasmine asked her. Sakura nodded.

"Yes. I want this Spring to be a good one. And my mother told me about how, if you plant a Lily of the Valley at night in front of a building, whoever resides in that building will be brought a good Spring. She even told me the legend behind it. There's a legend and story for every flower," Sakura explained.

"Really? Then tell us the one for this one," Mindy asked for.

"Alright," Sakura began. "Well, a hundred years ago, a ship was cast away in the ocean, heading towards Europe. On this ship were thousands of men, and each man had a woman waiting for them to return home. Two years passed since that ship has set sailed, and the women waiting for them were worried they may never see them again. It was in Winter that someone approached each one of these women, and told them to plant lilies in front of their houses at midnight, so when Spring came, their wish would come true. Well, Spring came, and the lilies blossomed beautifully, and on the day they did, the men had returned home to the women. It's said that, by planting a Lily of the Valley in front of your house, whatever your heart desires will come true during that spring. You just have to make a wish on it."

"That's a lovely story," Mindy was almost entranced by the tale, and so was Jasmine. Sakura smiled at Alexis.

"So…have you made your wish yet?" Alexis' face went red at the question. She didn't know what to wish for.

* * *

It was amazing how much the tale of the lilies had spread throughout the school. In less than three hours, people were standing outside their dorms, making wishes on the lilies Sakura had planted for them. Mostly the girls were the ones wishing on them, few boys were. Boys and men were never truly interested in such things of Spring, so it was understandable to most people. Jaden thought nothing of the matter with the flowers, while Syrus talked nothing of them.

"I'm going to make my wish as well. I'm going to wish that I would see that girl again," Syrus cried, kneeling on the grass and bowing to the flower. His light blue hair brushed against the petals of the flower, and he shut his eyes as he made the wish.

"Come on, Sy, you don't really believe in all that junk, do you?" Jaden asked his friend. Syrus didn't answer, but a voice spoke to them calmly and in a friendly way.

"Hi!"

Syrus and Jaden looked up to see a girl standing before them, her long pink hair swaying in the wind behind her, her plant, green eyes sparkling gently. Jaden and Syrus exchanged looks, and at once, Syrus' face went red. He mouthed to Jaden, "that's her." Jaden was surprised now by this appearance.

"I thought some people might enjoy the little favor I did everyone last night!" she said cheerfully.

"You're…you're Sakura Mitokaza?" Jaden asked.

"Yes, I am. And you must be Jaden Yuki. It's nice to meet you," she held out a hand, and Jaden shook it.

"It's nice to meet you, as well. Why did you plant the flowers?" Jaden couldn't help but ask.

"Because I want everyone to have a wonderful Spring. It's only meant to be, seeing as how this is the season of romance," Sakura spoke almost calmly. Jaden and Syrus both went red in the face. Syrus looked down, trying to avert his eyes from the girl. She noticed this, though. "No need to be shy. Everything is as it should be."

She turned and started to walk away, but then she stopped and turned back to them. "Actually, I came to deliver a message," she spoke.

"A message?" Jaden asked.

"Yes, from Alexis. Crowler has pretty much told everyone that nearing the end of Spring, there'll be two dances. One will be the annual Spring Dance, while the one before it will celebrate the graduation of the seniors. Be sure you find a date for the dances, otherwise you'll be going alone, and that's not the tradition of Spring," she explained before walking off again. She didn't mention the message from Alexis. But as she walked off, she dropped something on the grass, and, once she was out of sight, Jaden went to go pick it up.

"What is it?" Syrus asked softly, finally looking up with a red face.

"It's an invite," Jaden held the pink envelope before his eyes, scanning it. "It's from Alexis."

"Open it," Syrus cried, standing up. Jaden obeyed. He opened it and pulled out a pink card with flowers along it, and on the front, in bold, cursive red ink, were the words _Annual Spring Festival_. He opened the card, and there was the invitation in the same, sparkling, red, cursive ink.

_You are hereby invited to attend the Obelisk Blue Annual Spring Festival, coming up on March 25th. There will be dancing, celebration of the famous Duel Monsters, annual duels, games, and more. All hosted by the Girls of Obelisk Blue. Come and enjoy the celebration of the season, with your hostesses, Sakura Mitokaza and Alexis Rhodes. March 25th at 8. Don't be late!_

_Sincerely,_

_Queen of Obelisk Blue_

_Alexis Rhodes_

As Jaden read the invite, he suddenly began to realize that Sakura had purposely meant to drop this invitation. She wasn't planning on telling him about the festival, but why? What was so secretive that she had to drop the invitation rather than tell him? As he pondered this for a moment, he passed the invite to Syrus, who also read it. At once his face went red.

"A festival? That'll mean that other people will be there! Other guys! What if she dances with one of them, and not me? It'll be the worst day of my life!" Syrus cried.

"Chill, Syrus. How do you know until you go? She probably will dance with other guys, but who says she won't dance with you?" Jaden asked.

"Thanks a lot, Jaden," Syrus spoke sarcastically. That didn't make him feel any better. But Jaden didn't hear the sarcasm.

"Any time, bud."

* * *

FD: Wow. Seriously, wow. I'm just in awe. I don't even know where to begin. Um…first, let me just say thank-you to everyone who reviewed. I got like seven reviews in less than forty-eight hours for this story, so, yeah, I just like to thank all of you who did that. Second, I have five people adding this to their favorite and alert lists. That stunned me quite a bit, and for that, I thank you. What also shocked me was that someone also added this to their C2's. I was, literally, stunned to see that. I want to thank all of you for what you had done. I couldn't have done it without you, and I hope you like this second chapter. I'll work on the next one as soon as I can, but…like I said, thank you! 


	3. The Mist Flower

Chapter II: The Mist Flower

* * *

Soon, word of the Obelisk Blue festival had spread throughout the school, and nearly everyone was waiting for an invitation. Apparently, though, only few were invited from other dorms. Jaden and Bastion were one of them, while Syrus and Chumley were not. Chazz Princeton was probably the most excited out of everyone, however, he was the only person in the school who did not know who Sakura was, or who had planted all the flowers. He had probably seen the girl around the school, but had never talked to her or meet her. He was excited, mainly because this would give him the chance to dance with Alexis, but he was very much interested in who this "Sakura Mitokaza" was.

Sakura had other things on her mind rather than the upcoming festival. She had heard many stories from Jasmine and Mindy about how Jaden went to an extent and length to save Alexis from danger. They told her about the Shadow Riders, about how Alexis was kidnapped twice by Titan, and how Jaden came to her each time. They told her that it was he who had found Alexis' brother, and how he was always there to cheer her on. The more they told her, the more she began to plot. Not in an evil and horrible way, and she shared her plan with Jasmine and Mindy, but it a nice, sensible way. Like them, she now believed, more than anyone, that Alexis and Jaden had hidden feelings for each other, and it was the job of their friends to make the two of them be together.

However, like Alexis, Sakura had obtained a nickname for the deed she had done around the island of planting flowers. This nickname was the "Flower of Blue." Sakura didn't care so much for nicknames, as long as everyone would be happy this Spring, and all their wishes would come true. She would make sure of that. One day, she decided to put her plan into action, and try to set up Alexis and Jaden. She told Mindy about how she would lightly dabble information and auras whenever the two were around, try to play match-maker as much as she could without being too obvious. This day happened three days before the festival.

She found Jaden and Alexis together on the beach, having a practice duel. They were both smiling when she approached, her pink hair tied up by a maroon ribbon. She smiled down at them, and sat on the sand with them.

"Who's winning?" she asked them.

"Jaden is, but he has the lowest life points," Alexis told her.

"Not for long. My Flame Wingman attacks your Cyber Blader, and you lose the duel," Jaden cried out. "Good duel, Lex."

"Same here," Alexis spoke to him, then gathered up her cards and placed them back in her deck. She then turned to Sakura. "What's up?"

"Nothing, but I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment." Alexis approached the other girl, and Sakura began talking about the festival. "It's traditional for the hostesses to bring a date along for the party. You don't have to dance with them or anything, but you need to bring one to it with you."

"Alright. Well, it's only three days away. How long could it take to find a date?" Alexis asked.

"Pretty long, seeing as how most people are coming as dates. It probably would be best to bring someone as a date who's your friend. Like someone you know that won't mind going with you," Sakura explained to her.

"Who are you going with?" Alexis asked.

"Zane asked me at the last second. I'm going with him, but he had just barely asked me when I was coming to talk to you," she told her.

"Do you like Zane?" Alexis asked.

"He's alright," Sakura said this casually, and it was enough to prove that she did like Zane, but didn't have feelings for him.

"Okay, cool. Well, I guess I need to find a date," Alexis spoke. Sakura nodded and started walking away, but as she left, a flower was dropped from her hand, and she walked on, not noticing. Alexis went to go pick up the flower, to find it was a light lavender blossom with several petals on it. Alexis recognized this flower as the Mist Flower.

She placed it in her pocket of her blazer and went back to talk to Jaden.

"So? What did Sakura have to say?" he asked her.

"She was telling me about how the hostesses of the festival have to bring a date," Alexis explained to him.

"Cool. Does she have one?" Jaden asked her.

"Yeah, she says she's going with Zane," Alexis responded.

"Does she like him?"

"I don't think so."

Alexis turned towards the ocean, and her hand subconsciously reached into her pocket where the flower had been placed, and her fingers gently stroked against the petals. It was so cold and soft, like snow. Exactly like the mist of the sea. As she stood there, staring at the ocean, thoughts of who she would take to the festival with her came to mind. She couldn't go with Zane, seeing as how he was already going with Sakura. She couldn't go with Chazz, because then he would freak out and think it was an actual date. Bastion wasn't exactly someone she would consider a close enough friend to go to a festival with. Syrus was cute, but it would be really awkward to stand next to him. The only other option was….

"Jaden?" she called to him. He looked up from his deck and smiled at her.

"What's up, Lex?" he asked.

"I don't have a date for the festival. Want to come?" she asked him. "As a friend?"

"Sure, Lex," he answered, and he turned to the ocean. He may have been a little light in the head, but he was innocent at heart. So innocent, he didn't see this sudden arrangement of accompanying one of the most popular girls in the school to a festival as a date.

* * *

"Oh, Alexis, that's a beautiful dress!" Jasmine cried as Alexis pulled out a flowing, blue kimono. It was a Japanese, traditional dress that most people wore to festivals. Alexis and Sakura were encouraged to wear one, seeing as how they were the hostesses. Jasmine and Mindy stood beside Alexis' three-way mirror, while she continuously pulled out dresses to see which one would be more appropriate for the occasion. She didn't understand why, but she was very occupied with how she would look for the festival than she had in her life.

"Yeah, it's nice, but it's not something that would look good on me," Alexis spoke, tossing the kimono to the floor, and then pulling out a light maroon kimono. Mindy and Jasmine both shook their heads at it.

"I wouldn't dress in anything purple, pink, or red," Mindy spoke.

"Why not? Those are the colors of the season," Alexis responded.

"Because…we've also seen Sakura's dress, and it's pink. You don't want to be matching hostesses, do you?" Jasmine asked. Alexis sighed, deciding not to argue with them. She could really care less if she and Sakura matched, because it was just a stupid festival. It wasn't like a prom or a wedding. It meant near nothing to her.

Then he came to her mind…for some strange reason, she suddenly felt that it did matter, now. She didn't want to be looking like a complete idiot in front of him. She didn't want to be some kind of girl who could care less about him. She did care about him, and that's what made things far more complicated than she could imagine. She had even gone to Mindy to help her with…_make-up_!

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" she muttered to herself, and tossed the kimono to the pile of others on the floor. It was then that she saw the perfect one hanging in the darkest corner of her closet. She pulled it out, and in a wave of silk, pulled it in front of her body before the mirrors.

"Oh, my God! Alexis, that's gorgeous!" Mindy cried.

"There's no way any guy could pass you up in that!" Jasmine cheered.

Alexis smiled as she held up the satin and silk white kimono. Along the kimono were beautiful, light lavender flowers with several petals. As she stared at the reflection of the kimono, it was then she began to recognize the flowers. She dropped the kimono by accident, and reached into her pocket, only to pull out the torn flower. As she stared at it, she realized it was the exact same flower that was on the kimono. Mindy and Jasmine saw what she had in her hand, and approached, staring at the flower.

"Oh! That's a Mist Flower. Sakura told me a story about them earlier today!" she cried.

"Really? What was it about?" Jasmine asked.

"It was about this ship that was out at sea and aboard it was a woman. The ship was destroyed by a typhoon, and the woman was washed up upon a shore of an uncharted island. There, a man came to her and placed a flower by her side, and as she laid in the sand of the sun, the flower began to bloom. For each petal that bloomed from the flower, a day would pass, and the man soon thought of the woman to be dead, until on fiftieth day, he returned to her side, and she rose to meet him. From what Sakura told me, that man was supposed to have been the woman's husband, awaiting her return home," Mindy told them.

"That's such a pretty story. Just like the one she told us yesterday," Alexis spoke. "The one about the Lily of the Valley. What is with this girl and flowers?"

"Don't you remember? Her mother told her everything," Jasmine answered.

Alexis turned from her friends to the flower in her hands. It still looked fresh and new, even though it had been in her pocket almost all day. Apparently, this was a wonderful time of year, like Sakura had said. The flowers were blooming everywhere, happiness was spreading to everyone, and the least likely people were already starting to fall in love….

* * *

"Hey, you're Sakura, right?"

At once, Sakura looked up at the sound of her name to a familiar boy with dark hair, dark eyes, and a yellow blazer. She smiled charmingly at him.

"Yes, I am. How may I help you?" she asked. She sat in the grass, bathing in the warm sunlight.

"You've made quite a name for yourself around the school. All because you planted flowers in front of each dorm," the boy spoke. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"No, I don't mind," she said, moving over. The boy sat next to her.

"I'm Bastion, by the way. Bastion Misawa," he introduced himself.

"It's nice to meet you, Bastion," Sakura's voice was so light and carefree, it reminded Bastion of Jaden's voice. Except this time, there was more than just kindness and a lack of sensibility to her voice. There was something else there. Kind of like the voice you would hear in dreams. "So, what's my nickname around the school?"

"Oh, it's the 'Flower of Blue.' Quite a lovely name, yet it isn't your name, now, is it?" Bastion asked sarcastically. Sakura didn't answer, but that warm, charming smile was still on her face. She fell back into the grass and laid there, enjoying the sunlight.

"I love the Spring, don't you?" she asked him. He nodded, looking down at her. She was such an unusual girl. Carefree, innocent, kind and gentle, exactly like the petals of a flower. Her pink hair was almost unnatural, and her green eyes seemed to take in every bit of detail of the world. He could understand why Syrus would like her. She was almost exactly like him, except for being timid. She always had a smile on her face.

He didn't know what else to talk to her about. He shut his eyes, and felt the cool, relaxing wind of the ocean against his face. He then opened his eyes, as if the topic had come to him like magic.

"Your name means 'cherry blossom,' does it not?" he asked.

"Yes, it does. My mother named me after the traditional flower of Japan. I remember where we used to live in Kyoto, the trees surrounding our house would literally turn pink during the spring, and we would throw this huge party in honor of the cherry blossoms. Almost everyone came to it in Kyoto," she explained.

"Was it your idea to have the parties and festivals here?" he asked her.

"Kind of. I wanted hard to celebrate the traditional Sakura no Fiesta here, but Chancellor Shepherd rejected it, claiming that students need to focus more on their grades rather than on parties," she explained. Bastion couldn't help but smile. This girl seemed to be well-adapted to the Japanese culture, and, more importantly, seemed to be fond of her ancient culture. Even now, when she talked about the different festivals and traditions of her hometown, Kyoto, there was that warm, remembrance smile on her face. A smile that brought back memories to himself.

"Well, I've got to go get ready for the festival tonight. I'll catch you later, Bastion!" she called as she stood up and hurried back towards the Obelisk Blue Girls' dormitory. He watched after her, suddenly seeing a resemblance, physical resemblance, between her, and the cherry blossoms soon to be blooming in the trees. This girl was far to evangelic to even be human.

* * *

The setting sun was cast across the island, illuminating almost every bit of the newly springed trees and land. As Jaden stood there, before the Obelisk Blue Girls' dorm, awaiting Alexis, he noticed that almost three-quarters of the boys in the school that passed by had dates for the festival. He remembered how much Syrus had reacted when he had informed him that the girl he was madly in love with was going with someone else, and he freaked out when he heard that she was going with Zane, his older brother.

"No! This can't be happening! My brother has betrayed me!" was Syrus' reaction to this news.

"Well, Sy, she doesn't really like Zane that much, from what Alexis told me. She just has to have a date because she's the hostess," Jaden had told him over and over again. Syrus still didn't take it too well, but was forced to come, anyways. Even Chazz and Bastion were coming, and, from what Jaden was hearing, Bastion had a date to go with him. That was both surprising and unusual, because, like Syrus, Bastion was shy of anything having to do with girls. He was bashful when he dueled Toniya, and when he had informed them about his date, he was still blushing.

So, here Jaden was, standing before the Girls' dorm, waiting for Alexis to come down, when he heard a familiar voice.

"Jaden."

He turned to see Zane approaching him, his dark blue hair brushing against his broad shoulders, while his dark eyes held no emotion, just like his face. As he approached, Jaden noticed that he was still wearing his traditional blazer, like Jaden. Only his was blue.

"What's up, Zane?" Jaden asked.

"I'm waiting for my date, Sakura," Zane answered. Still no expression of emotion in his voice.

"Cool, I'm waiting for Alexis," Jaden replied back. Zane didn't answer back, but looked up at the dorm. Jaden then spoke again. "Do you like her, Zane?"

Zane turned back to him, a confused look on his face.

"Sakura. Do you like Sakura?" Jaden asked again.

"No, not really. Me and her dueled three days ago, and I told her if she won, I'd take her to the festival," Zane answered.

"Did she win?" Jaden asked. Stupid question, huh?

"No, she didn't. She lost, but she dueled hard and well for someone like her. So, I offered to take her, anyway," Zane shrugged.

"So, you do like her!" Jaden yelled.

"No, I don't," there was no emotion in his face, but a startle in his eyes from Jaden's actions. He then shut his eyes, knowing anything he said to the boy would just be twisted and thrown right back at him. He turned from him, and looked up at the dorm to see a girl climbing down the steps. The girl had pink hair held up on her head in a bun with a string of pink flowers around it, and green, sparkling eyes. She wore a light pink kimono with blue flowers as she climbed down the stairs to him, holding a package.

"Hey, Zane!" she called to him as she approached. Both he and Jaden were thrown off by how pretty she looked.

"Hey, you're looking nice," Zane responded to her call.

"Thanks!" she chirped, and then she turned to Jaden. "Are you waiting for Alexis?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Jaden asked.

"Lucky guess. Hey, can you give this to her?" Sakura approached him and handed him the small package. He realized that it was wrapped in colorful blue paper. "Don't tell her it's from me, okay?"

Jaden nodded, and watched as the two of them headed off towards the festival. He stood there, waiting for Alexis, who came down only a few minutes later. Jaden was immediately thrown into awe by how she appeared. She wore a beautiful, pure white silk kimono with light, lavender flowers all over. As she appeared, her blond hair was held on top of her head like a bun by a white ribbon, and she was wearing light, lavender make-up. As she approached, Jaden at once mistaken her for a traditional Japanese girl.

"Hey, did you wait long?" she asked him.

"No, not really. Um…here," he held out the package to her. She took it, and opened it to reveal a black hair-comb with a beautiful lily upon it. Alexis stared down at it with eyes full of wonder.

"Oh, Jaden, it's lovely. Thank you," she said, looking up at him.

"Here, let me help you with that," he said this almost too casually as he took the comb and placed the teeth of it within the base of her bun. It sunk in fully to where only the flower could be seen alongside her hair. She looked absolutely beautiful now.

"Shall we go?" Alexis asked. Jaden nodded, and the two of them walked together to the festival.

* * *

FD: Alright, that's all for now. I hope you guys liked it. The festival was partly inspired by the episode of GX when they threw a huge party and Dark Magician girl appeared, but not completely like that. Anyway, please review, and I'll work on the next chapter A.S.A.P. 


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